Sofa bed



W. W. WILSON Jan, 3, l 950 SOFA BED 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 15, 1945 INVENTOR. WiLL/nM W. W/LSON.

W. WILSON SOFA BED 3 heets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 15, 1945 mtmk he INVENTOR. WILL/HM W l V/L50N. BY

Jan. 3, 1950 w. w WILSON SOFA BED Filed Jan. 13, 1945 '3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Will 1 mm M W/L 50H.

pin or abutment 31 carried by the other bracket II. The inner end of the slot preferably rather closely embraces the abutment pin and is disposed with such angularity relative to the length of the latch as to minimize latch swing about the pin 33. At its outer end the slot widens to increase abutment play and arcuately curves into substantially transverse relation to the latch and at its end is provided on its inner side with a seating notch 35A for the abutment pin, which notch increases the slot width and provides an abutment play of about twice abutment width.

Adjacent the outer end of the latch 3| is a trip 39 which is pivotally secured to the latch by a pivot pin 6i substantially concentric with the arcuately curved portion of the latch slot. The pivot center of the trip is below and rearward of its center of gravity and the swing of the trip about the pivot pin il being limited in opposite direction as by lugs 33 and d carried by the latch arm and which may be struck outward from the surface thereof.

Below and forwardly of the pivot pin 4|, the trip is recessed to receive the abutment 31, this recess including a pin engaging notch 39A facing rearwardly, the lower side of the notch being formed by a tongue 35B, and the notch depth being sufficient to substantially entirely house the abutment. The rear side of the recess extends slightly below the tongue 39B, turns slightly forward and terminates in a forwardly and downwardly facing arcuate abutment seat 390, which is positioned relatively to the pin H to clear the upper arcuate edge of the latch slot, the tongue and forward edge of the seat delimiting a throat 39D into the recess slightly in excess of the size of the abutment. Preferably the lower arcuate edge of the slot is so positioned relatively to the seat 390 that it holds the abutment on the seat during movement of the abutment about the pin 4|.

4'! is a tension spring connected at its rear end to the arm H, preferably through a link 49 and pin 5|. The forward end of the spring, though not here shown, is anchored to the sofa bed frame, and the spring is tensioned to assist shift of the seat and back from the sofa position shown .in Fig. 1.

53 is a cover plate spaced from the bracket H to house the latch SI and trip 39, the plate being secured to the bracket by rivets 55 and by the abutment pin 31, and in addition to housing the latch and trip, bracing the abutment pin.

The structure hereinabove described is built in right and left hand units, otherwise identical, and these units are secured respectively to the opposite ends of the seat and back, and of a suitable supporting frame.

In use, shift of the seat accomplishes the movement of the parts, the hinge structures at both ends being concurrently moved by the seat shift. The following description, however, for clarity, has been confined to the movements of one only of the hinge structures as typical.

When the sofa bed is in seating position the parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 1 with the blocking stud 29 solidly seated against the rear support arm 19 and with the pin 31 engaged in the seating notch 35A.

When it is desired to convert the sofa bed from seating position to bed position, shift of the seat is undertaken, accomplishing movement of the parts and causing positioning of the trip seat 380 in the path of pin 31, such positioning occurring at substantially the outer limit of movement 4 of the seat section, for engagement by the pin 31, such engagement holding the abutment pin clear of the latch notch and accomplishing unlatching as desired.

It is found that the operation of the parts may be effected by initially shifting the seat forwardly with a minimum of initial upward movement being imparted thereto. Under such condition the spring 41, coupled to the arm I1, acts not only to assist in counter-balancing the sofa bed for shift, but also cooperates with the weight of the back supported by the back bracket to maintain the parts in close coupled relation, so that during such shift the pin 3'! remains in the seating notch 35A and the parts areimoved from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 4. During such shift the trip 39 is restrained against gravity urged movement about its pivot 4| by the engagement of the abutment pin 31 with the side of the notch 39A nearest the pivot 4|.

It will be seen that in the position of Fig. 4, the trip is disposed for gravity urged movement upon release to position the seat 390 in alinement with the pin 31 for engagement thereby, the stop 45 being preferably provided to insure accurate p0- sitioning. However, if it is desired to return to the seating position of Fig. 1, this may be done by simply reversing the movement of the parts without releasing the pin imposed restraint on the trip. If shift to bed position is desired, the seat section is raised from the position of Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 5, the pin 3'! being thereby moved into engagement with the end of the slot 35. The trip is released from the previous restraint, and moves under gravity to position the trip seat 390 in alinement with the path of the pin 31. Unlatching is then accomplished by lowering the seat section pin 31, moving into engagement with trip seat 390 and being thereby held clear of the latch notch 35A.

Upon shift from the position of Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 5 the stud 29 is brought into engagement with arm I! and effectively serves to insure against movement of the parts to a position in which the hinge may buckle under the weight of the sections.

If, from the seating position shown in Fig. 1, the front of the seat is lifted upwardly the seat bracket II is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the abutment pin 31 is carried by the bracket solidly against the front end of the latch slot 35 and into the notch of the trip 39 immobilizing the trip relatively to the latch and the abutment.

This seat lifting also shifts the blocking stud 29, about the hinge pin 15 as a center, downward along the forward edge of the rear supporting arm I9 and earns the back bracket I3 from its initial position I3A, shown by the heavy dotted lines in Fig. 2, slightly forward and moves the back correspondingly forward, destroying the inertia of the parts and imparting an initial movement to them.

Continuing the movement of the seat forward and upward from this position, the stud 29 moves away from and unlocks the supporting arm 19, the movement being continued until the seat bracket H reaches the limiting position of intermediate shift, shown in Fig. 3, and the back bracket with the back carried thereby is pulled by cooperative action of the abutment 31 and the end of the slot 35 in the latch into substantially horizontal position and is stopped by contact (not shown) with the frame rearward of the,

base member 2|, and ihovementat the seat bracket and 'seat' i's stoppedbylthe latch. "Durin this efiti remov'mhtthe trip'Q-Q ezintinues i'fm'il'obi'lized rei'ativ'elyto are latc fanag'etutmenttai, the depth of the" trip notch 'BHren'derinQ it substantialiy impossible to "aocidentaliydiserigage the trip. Concmren'tiy with "tnese'mov ments the stud 29 has'moved" frorn'the position shown in Fig'." 2 to the position shown iniF'fg'l'B and into Contact Withtheffo'nt slipportihg "arm l1; this latter "contact additionally "stoppingbracket movement andbloking' downward rn'ovem'ent of the hinge pin across the'l'ine of 'oe r'iters'jof the abutment pin 31 p and the rest 'support' arm pin 21, and preventing buckling b'fthefhinge', it be ing here noted that it is' 'possiib le for the latch pivot pin 33 to, be moved atthisfltime' by upward movement of theseat bracket l3 'toward alin'ement between the latch' a utm t pin en the support arm pin, sufiicintly tootherwise allow such buckling movement.

From the "lirnitingjposition of intermediate shift nio'vefnent thus {mac "(1, the' seat and s'eat bracket are shifted reyersiy from" the position of Fig. 3 downward; shitting" theielbutrnent pin 31 from the tripnot ohMAinto engagenient with the latch notchetAenastop" the movement of'theseat bracket in; shown in Fig, 4. In this 'rriovernen t'pir'i 3'ldis engages rromthe 6f the .trip. unlocks the trip, andaiiowstheheavler'upp'er end of the trip to shift the trip untiitheback ofth recess in the trip engagesthe,abutinentjpinf 3- 1 ,{an d stops the inovenie"nt of the" trip preventing at s ime n a men 5i eme. i 3? feed men n mek nsi ti q eib e ifl sh d till to r turn o at ro i pnr t .sqf q itiqn n fihe nd of het neue i ifirelative yi the ab tment at u se u t u er -m6retr ent-,-0 heabu ment wi l f r ec m letion. .o hee ni movement even though it might otherwise hang or Joe. Slug: iSvhh From the position shown in Fig. 4, if these-at is to be shifted, to .bed, positionhtheiseat is raised, shifting the seat bracket l I to theposition shown in Fig. 5, which it will; benoted, is. identical. .With the bracket positionshown..in.Fig 3, since the movement of, the bracket isvpositiviely limited by eme t of theabutmen pinfil with the end of theslot 35,in thelatqhharmj This move: ment however moves the abutmentpin outward and away from the backof thetrip recess com-r pietes the unlocking of the trip and aliows the trip tofurther shift by gravity onby contact with the tongue 39B forces the shift'againstjthe stop 45, d Mines he ip eat 3 G: int ezreturn pa of the abutment 31. It willbe seenthat during suchtrip shift, the throat of the trip passesthe pin, or, in other words, the pin ipas ses through the throat of the tripinmoving to the extreme position. The seat andseat bracket l l are then shifted downward Irom. the pOSit iQns 'f Fig. 5, the abutment engaging the .trip seett 3QC and being held thereby clear oi; the latchvnotch A and turning the triparound the pindl During movement through the arcuate pdrtion of the slot; the abutment is c'onfinedin the" seat 39C so that the tripiiscdinpelledflto shift,.u'ritil the trip has been turned enoughwtobvrbalance. i'tand' cause it to further complteits shift bygravity to, the position shown inFi'gi 6', with therecess throat 39D facingjrearwardm and aimed with the latch-.5101; .fi i t i imllt, inl FQPPQQ by the lug 43. Movement ofthe abutment through the latch slot is continueduntii the seat is' ro i ht to the'bed position'oi F'igfei' To shift fiom'bled position (Fi giffif'back to sofa positiohfthe 'sat is'iaisd, "turning theseat bracket "I I 'about the "hinge p'in' l5 and r noyirig thef abutment p n 3 sprig the 811 f at 1 the latch. 1 It will seen that fthetgngue 3933 e5}; d e e d l ie roib tel htq ee'o lqt ii n' i t I 1 m -l n sedr r he i tm n e he. Pie inqv dl .1 28 he 1 h ri j t es I y. his. n gement i h m t 399 pps'i iene e'ee e he i l enin 1 h ess eihroi eh heihreet flQ f f e h rineed leee n tfi ze epj h t t ie nefih o ri n il the abet-l m ntf i em h mot 94 i th hip and e he butm nt pie eehest eu eqi f 12? slot 35 in the latch andfurthern oven entpfi the seat and seat bracket is stopped byjth e end of th tl i eii i ain tii it .in srz e ih e p t 'sh w in i 1 From th position shownin F ig. 3, toretuijn to seat 'p'o si ti on the seat and seat bracket I I are e'in we e h ebutmtnt i ii evine ree; he. trip ieh fle'e i 'heendl i beq et e 19 2 n o en ag m t thQ e eti e,wit 54,1 1? the latch 3 i as shownii tend heme emeni o e he. b tm nt. Pi l h ou h the atte ushin he ee r m her ent l' edo e i: H0111; i hr u h e t' nelb eh osit ee h n i f pri ht. eefiee es tiq h s shown in Figl 1, and by direct ,latchfaction hold e it i s Pos tion nd. ew. e eeenze tl f. the latch and abutment not only making acci dental dislodgement of the latch substantially impossible; but opbosite hotoh; actionLcf the trip, i a ly edse blel 159 h n l sat v men i we vliihe tewed Peqkj os t: tions of Fig; 2 and Mel, through theblpok ing n p te t e cki of he. ar gains movement either accidentaior otherwise. It i be d th in hismqr meei. t e. we is res d frfmi tur in r sitism, th i e tfiw nd utme t P nga eme rthe engagement of the pin: with the side of the notch 9A di i nt f he' b and h t heirin et. e on b P tt d rt a y. Q 1 1 1 utmen engagement by a v lpi. h m's r me f, the. t i 'l r he e imp. e ert niet el c mete re 'riv t eh at n he Whi the. by r t reb more the tri C o at n .heme melt eeq ibe -i nd r lq di heti hfi e ie 'l ra ket r y h iii' nel erie e r etuliethmeeh which the seat and back are supported, is his}: lo e .v xmy ndin enliee eei. 5523 e4, wh c su d as a ent, N 513 31 6 eb- Qill it rte n he '..P lbr'eeinsletcherm and. 'ib are in e t s i fele' e firm?p ee eefe nl ei. h ieliN 3 ?3\ l?i9h. if ew. eledeee-o It il e i' derewedw het th t h 5 races: between the seat and -back bra;ckets and holds hej eck" ga QKW IQImQYemwV- mi zh es t n 'i e'v' p w 'd e ecedt e we; Wi b 5? l vb c inet i enefermeqaoperation: It iwili be again emphasized that h l e'teh o r emte ire t y v. flizfl e..abu sist Pi rethei" than rb h'i he' irhttebfieqt shi t-I ne'msvehnt'j w set o te mediet ositieel nd t i t h ne emeeti ib that 5 49 1 13.?!

i is e s e mn ise eindependently throu h Ineefia bed (sh ,tet e. t ptio rrqmseat;

ing position to an'inte'rmediate' position and thence reversely to bed position and vice versa; a seat, a back, and a supporting frame, means respectively hinging opposite ends of said seat and back together, and supporting means therefor; each said hinging means comprising a seat bracket and a back bracket secured respectively to said sections, and a pin hinging said brackets together, front and rear support arms swingingiy secured at their lower ends to said frame and at their upper ends respectively to said hinge pin, and to said back bracket, said seat bracket extending rearwardly of said hinge pin, and carrying a stud positioned to seat against said rear arm when the structure is in seating position, said front arm extending forwardly from said hinge pin to clear said seat bracket during shift of said seat and back away from said seating position, and being downwardly bent to engage said seat bracket and limit said shift.

2. In a sofa bed shiftable at option from seating position to an intermediate position and thence to bed position and vice versa; a seat, a back, a supporting frame, and means respectively hinging the opposite ends of said seat and back together; each said hinging means comprising a seat bracket and a back bracket secured respectively to said sections, and a pin hinging said brackets together, front and rear support arms swingingly secured at their lower ends to said frame and at their upper ends respectively to said pin, and to said back bracket, said seat bracket extending rearwardly of said hinge pin, and carrying a stud positioned to seat against said rear arm when said structure is in seatin position.

3. In a sofa bed manually shiftable at option into seating or bed positions, a seat, a back, and a supporting frame, means at opposite ends of said seat and back hinging them together, and supporting means therefor; each said hinging means comprising a seat bracket and a back bracket secured respectively to said sections, and pivot means hinging said brackets together, front and rear support arms pivotally carried at their lower ends by said frame and pivotally secured at their upper ends respectively to said pivot means, and to said back bracket, said seat bracket having a portion extending rearwardly of said hinge pivot, and a stud carried thereby, positioned to seat against said rear arm when the structure is in seating position, said front arm extending forwardly from said hinge pin to clear said stud during shift of said seat and back away from said seating position, and being downwardly bent to engage said stud and limit said shift.

4. Hinge and support means for the opposite ends of the seat and back sections of a sofa bed, manually shiftable from seat or bed positions to an intermediate position and back to bed or seat positions; said means each including a seat bracket and a back bracket pivotally secured together, and supports arms, a latch pivotally secured to one of said brackets and an abutment carried by the other thereof, said latch being longitudinally slotted to slidably embrace said abutment, said slot adjacent the free end of said arm curving arcuately upward and terminating in transverse relation to said arm, and at said terminus being notched on its inner side to establish an outwardly facing abutment socket and permit limited longitudinal shift of said abutment, a trip pivotally attached to said arm, the pivot center of said trip being rearward and below its center of gravity, said trip below and forwardly of said center being upwardly slotted and the forward side of said slot recessed to establish an abutment socket facing toward said center, said trip, rearwardly of said slot, extending into the top of said latch slot and terminating in an abutment seat, and means carried by said latch respectively limiting the rearward and forward swings of the top of said trip to aline said trip abutment seat in the path of downward movement of said abutment from intermediate position to bed position, and the entrance of said trip slot with said latch slot in bed position.

5. In a sofa bed including a seat section, and a back section hinged together, and means for shiftably supporting said sections; means at opposite ends of said sections effecting said hinging, each said hinging means comprising brackets secured respectively to said sections, and pivot means hinging said brackets together, an abutment pin carried by one of said brackets, a latch pivotally secured at one end to the other said bracket, said latch having a portion slidably supported by said abutment, said portion at its outer end curving arcuately upward and terminating in an outwardly facing seat, said latch continuing outwardly above said seat in excess of abutment width, and thence downwardly to establish an abutment engaging portion facing said seat; a trip pivotally secured to said latch substantially at the center of curvature of said portion, said trip center being below and rearward of its center of gravity, said trip being recessed below and forward of said center to establish a rearwardly facing hook for engagement by 1 said abutment in movement along said latch portion, and rearwardly of said recess terminating at its lower end in an abutment receiving seat clearing said arcuate latch portion; and means for limiting opposite turning movement of said trip under gravity action, to position said trip hook or said trip seat, as the case may be, in abutment engaging positions responsive to shifting movement of said abutment carrying bracket.

6. In a sofa bed including a seat section, and a back section hinged together, and means for shiftably supporting said sections; means at opposite ends of said sections effecting said hinging, each said hinging means comprising brackets secured respectively to said sections, and pivot means hinging said brackets together, an abutment pin carried by one of said brackets, a latch pivotally secured at one end to the other said bracket, said latch having a portion slidably supported by said abutment, said portion at its outer end curving arcuately upward and terminating in an outwardly facing seat, said latch continuing outwardly above said seat in excess of abutment width, and thence turning downwardly to establish an abutment engaging portion facing said seat, a trip pivotally secured to said latch substantially at the center of curvature of said end portion, said trip center being below and rearward of its center of gravity, said trip being recessed below and forward of said center to establish a rearwardly facing hook, spaced from said center for engagement by said abutment in outward movement along said latch portion, means for limiting turning movement of said trip to effect hook positioning, said trip rearwardly of said recess terminating at its lower end in an abutment receiving seat clearing said arcuate latch portion, and means for limiting opposite turning movement of said trip to position said trip seat, in abutment engaging position by return shifting movement of said abutment carrying bracket.

'7. In a sofa bed including a seat section, and a back section hinged together, each said hinging means comprising members secured respectively to said sections, and means hinging said members together, an abutment carried by one of said members, a latch pivotally secured at one end to the other thereof, said latch being longitudinally slotted to slidably receive said abutment, said slot at its outer end curving arcuately upward and terminating in transverse relation to said latch, the inner side of said slot being notched to provide an abutment seat and permit limited longitudinal shift of said abutment, a trip pivotally secured to said latch substantially at the center of said curvature, said trip center being below and rearward of its center of gravity, said trip being recessed below and forward of said center to establish a rearwardly facing notch, spaced for engagement by said abutment in outward movement along said latch, and rearwardly of said recess terminating at the lower end in an abutment receiving seat clearing the radially inner side of said slot, and means for limiting opposite turning movement of said trip to position said trip hook or said trip seat, as the case may be, in abutment engaging positions by shifting movement of said abutment carrying bracket.

8. A sofa bed structure, including a frame, a seat and a back, and means at opposite ends of said structure hinging said seat and back to gether, and swingingly supporting said seat and back from said frame for shift from seat position to bed position and return, each said means including a pair of brackets, secured respectively to said seat and back, and a pivot hinging said brackets together, a pair of supporting arms hingedly secured at their upper ends to said pivot and one of said brackets and at their lower ends to said frame, one of said brackets extending beyond said hinge and carrying means engaging said arms respectively in opposite positions of shift, to limit shifting movement of said seat and back.

9. In a sofa bed including a coupled seat and back shiftable from and to seating and bed positions; hinge means secured to opposite ends of said seat and back, each said hinge means including a pair of brackets hinged together, means shiftably supporting said brackets, an abutment carried by one said bracket, a latch pivotally secured at one end to the other said bracket,

and extending into supported relation by and adapted for engagement with said abutment under seat manipulation, and a trip pivotally attached to said latch adjacent its supported end, said trip having a downwardly open notch with one side thereof facing its pivot center and indented to form a recess engageable with said abutment by shift manipulation of said seat, and being biased to disengage therefrom by further manipulation of said seat, said latch being characterized by a longitudinal slot closed at its ends in which said abutment is slidably disposed, said slot adjacent its supported end being spaced from said trip pivot to guide said abutment into said trip notch, and arcuately curved upwardly around said trip pivot to maintain abutment engagement in said trip recess and to establish an abutment engaging shoulder, said shoulder being recessed of depth to establish an abutment seat therein allowing disengagement of said abutment from said trip recess and release of said trip by biasing action.

10. In a sofa bed manually shiftable to and from seating and bed position and including a seat member and a back member hinged together, and latch means inter-connecting said seat and back; said latch means including a latch member pivotally hinged at its rear end to one of said members, and a cooperative abutment carried by the other thereof, in which said latch member forwardly of its pivot end is slotted to slidably receive said abutment, and adjacent its forward end pivotally carries a trip member, which includes a slot-overlying portion having a radial notch open at its rear side and radially inner end for abutment reception, said latch slot adjacent and rearward of said trip pivot being positioned in said latch for alinement with said notch opening for guiding said abutment into said notch, and extending toward the outer end of said latch arcuately around said trip pivot to displace said latch and trip and effect engagement of said abutment with the radially outer portion of said trip notch to immobilize said trip relatively to said abutment, said slot terminating transversely across said latch, to establish an outwardly facing abutment engaging shoulder, the said shoulder being rearwardly indented to form an abutment seat and allow disengagement of said abutment from said trip notch.

11. In a sofa bed manually shiftable to and from seating and bed position and including a seat and a back hinged together, and latch means interconnecting said seat and back; said latch means including a latch member pivotally hinged at one end to said back, and a cooperative abutment carried by said seat, in which the opposite end of said latch member is slidably supported by contact of a latch edge with said abutment, and pivotally carries a trip member having a portion adapted to extend below the abutment supported edge of said latch member, in facing relation to the pivoted end of said latch member, said portion being radially notched and having a rearwardly facing opening into said notch, for shifting engagement by said abutment member in movement away from said latch member pivot, said latch edge being arcuately curved around said trip pivot to maintain abutment engagement in said latch notch and establish a shoulder for abutment engagement, said shoulder being rearwardly notched to establish an abutment seat of depth to receive said abutment during retrogressive shift thereof whereby disengagement of said abutment from said trip notch may be effected.

WILLIAM W. WILSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,298,135 Wilton Mar. 25, 1919 1,324,094 Zega Dec. 9, 1919 1,367,681 Ambruster Feb. 8, 1921 2,291,677 Bank Aug. 4, 1942 2,330,059 Krakauer Sept. 21, 1943 2,334,493 Johnson i Nov. 16, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 168,613 Great Britain Sept. 7, 1921 

